Wearable devices including metalized interfaces and strap-integrated sensor electrodes

Abstract

Embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and computing devices, and, in particular, to a wearable device implementing a touch-sensitive interface in a metal pod cover and/or bioimpedance sensing to determine physiological characteristics, such as heart rate. According to an embodiment, a wearable device includes a selectably opaque surface configured to emit arrangements of light to form a display, and a touch-sensitive I/O control circuit coupled to the selectably opaque surface to detect a capacitance value as an input signal to modify the display. Also, the wearable device can include one or more straps coupled to a wearable pod, at least one of the one or more straps including electrodes for sensing a physiological characteristic. A display controller can be configured to display a representation as a function of a value of the physiological characteristic via the selectably opaque surface.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A wearable device comprising:
 a wearable pod including a selectably opaque surface configured to emit arrangements of light to form a display;   touch-sensitive I/O control circuitry coupled to the selectably opaque surface to detect a capacitance value as an input signal to modify the display;   one or more straps coupled to the wearable pod, at least one of the one or more straps including electrodes for sensing a physiological characteristic; and   a display controller configured to display a representation as a function of a value the physiological characteristic via the selectably opaque surface.   
     
     
         2 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the physiological characteristic comprises:
 a heart rate.   
     
     
         3 . The wearable device of  claim 2 , wherein the selectably opaque surface comprises:
 an arrangement of symbols configured to display the heart rate at the selectably opaque surface.   
     
     
         4 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the selectably opaque surface comprises:
 a metal material comprising micro-perforations.   
     
     
         5 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the physiological characteristic comprises:
 a respiration rate.   
     
     
         6 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable pod further comprises:
 a bioimpedance circuit coupled via the one or more straps to a subset of electrodes to apply a bioimpedance signal to the subset of electrodes and to extract the physiological characteristic from the subset of electrodes.   
     
     
         7 . The wearable device of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a galvanic skin response circuit is couple to the subset of electrodes to determine skin conductance in a first mode,   wherein the bioimpedance circuit implements the subset of electrodes in a second mode.   
     
     
         8 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein a strap of the one or more straps comprises:
 a first subset of the electrodes; and   a second subset of the electrodes; and   a buckling system to latch a first strap to a second strap to form an enclosed loop in which surfaces of the first subset of the electrodes and the second subset of the electrodes are oriented toward the bottom of the wearable pod.   
     
     
         9 . The wearable device of  claim 8 , wherein the first subset of the electrodes and the second subset of the electrodes are disposed on the strap to confront a first portion of tissue including a first blood vessel and a second portion of tissue including a second blood vessel, respectively. 
     
     
         10 . The wearable device of  claim 9 , wherein the strap is sized to attach to a wrist of a wearer. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable device of  claim 8 , wherein ratio of a first distance from the center of the wearable pod to the first subset of the electrodes relative to a second distance from the center of the wearable pod to the second subset of the electrodes is between 0.45 and 0.70. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable pod comprises:
 a metal cradle including at least two anchor portions.   
     
     
         13 . The wearable device of  claim 12 , wherein the metal cradle comprises:
 magnesium.   
     
     
         14 . The wearable device of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a thermoplastic elastomer attached to the anchor portions   
     
     
         15 . The wearable device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an electrode bus formed in a strap formed in a thermoplastic elastomer material, the electrode bus including one or more skirt coupled to the electrodes.